Transit Agencies Fail At Conveying Reasons To Ride, Survey Finds

April 21, 1999

CHICAGOLAND — A survey released Tuesday about Chicago-area residents' attitudes toward mass transit found that the CTA, Metra and Pace haven't fully gotten out their message regarding the potential benefits of riding trains and buses instead of driving.

The random survey, commissioned by the Regional Transportation Authority, found that 38 percent of the 1,900 people questioned in the six-county area have not ridden mass transit in the past year. Fifty-eight percent of the non-riders haven't been on a commuter train or bus in at least five years.

Of current transit customers, 16 percent started riding one or more of the transit systems in the past year--an indication of high turnover in the ridership base and the need for the CTA, Metra and Pace to increase information and marketing to attract new riders.

Forty-five percent of riders said they were satisfied, will continue riding and recommend mass transit to others.

One out of five people surveyed said they ride at least one transit system five times or more each month.

The survey also found that half of all people who commute to work on mass transit use the system during non-peak hours.